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Brain natriuretic peptide based strategy to detect left ventricular dysfunction in Chagas disease: a comparison with
Antonio Luiz P Ribeiro1, Mauro M Teixeira, Adelina M Reis
1Postgraduate Course of Tropical Medicine, Internal Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Alfredo Balena, 190-Campus Saúde, 30130-100, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. tom@hc.ufmg.br
Background:
Left ventricular dysfunction (LVd) is the main predictor of mortality in Chagas disease (ChD).
Aims:
To compare the diagnostic performance of the conventional approach (ECG and chest X-ray) in the recognition of LVd in ChD, with a new strategy, in which BNP is measured in patients with an abnormal ECG.
Methods:
Consecutive ChD patients recruited at an Outpatient Reference Center in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, without other systemic diseases, in 1998-99 (sample 1, n = 165) and in 2001-02 (sample 2, n = 62) underwent ECG, chest X-ray, BNP measurement and echocardiography.
Results:
The prevalence of LVd (ejection fraction
Conclusions:
The BNP-based strategy was more accurate than the conventional approach in the detection of LVd in ChD patients and should be considered as a valid option.
